Beoing Engineers Reject Deal Offer

Published 8:00 pm, Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Engineers and technical workers at Boeing Co.'s Irving plant have unanimously rejected a three-year contract offer and could vote to go on strike against the aircraft maker within weeks, union officials say.

The Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace represents about 140 employees who work on electronic systems for jets at the Irving commercial-aircraft plant.

The union said its members voted 76-0 against the Boeing's latest offer Monday. Their current four-year contract expires next week.

The union had sought raises of 3.5 percent, 4 percent and 5 percent over the next three years, and Boeing countered by offering 3.5 percent each year, union contract administrator Bob Brewer said.

Brewer said the union will ask for a strike-authorization vote after receiving the company's next proposal in three or four weeks. The union is seeking to match a contract for Boeing machinists in Irving, who will receive annual pay increases of 5 percent, 4 percent and 3 percent, he said.

The union said Chicago-based Boeing also did not offer engineers the same $500 bonuses given other Irving workers.

Boeing officials did not immediately return a call for comment.

The engineers' union represents 24,900 Boeing workers in several states. In 2000, about 15,000 engineers and technical workers conducted a 38-day strike against Boeing in Seattle.

Boeing is struggling due to weak demand for commercial aircraft because of the recession and slump in air travel after Sept. 11. It also lost a competition with Lockheed Martin Corp. to build a new fighter jet for the U.S. and British armed forces.

Boeing announced in September that it would lay off 30,000 workers by mid-2002. Brewer said he expects the company to announce soon that 120 to 160 of those layoffs will occur at the Irving plant.